


Happy Happy

by Kireizaki



Series: THE IDOLM@STER TSF Stories [1]
Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: F/F, Genderbending, Manga & Anime, Romance, Transformation, Transgender, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 04:50:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21069149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kireizaki/pseuds/Kireizaki
Summary: A student takes their first plunge into living more openly as the kind of person they want to be. When they end up taking far more steps than they had ever anticipated, they're met with the love and kindness they need to know that they'll finally be able to grasp the happiness they've always wanted.





	Happy Happy

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally published on DeviantArt on January 27, 2018.
> 
> I'm slowly working through much of my library of work and getting them reposted on here until everything can be published on both sites concurrently. Please excuse any roughness in my writing, as I've developed a great deal since then!

Kiyoshi stared at the product page for a good 10 minutes, poring over every single word and image until the site’s layout was practically burned into his brain, agonizing as his cursor hovered over the “buy now” button.  
  
He couldn’t, could he? There was no way he could buy something so...cutesy. It’d just look ridiculous on him anyway. But...he wanted it so very badly. Every image made it look so utterly adorable that he was certain that even someone like him might look cute if he wore it.  
  
Wait, wait. No, he didn’t want to wear it, did he? No, he just wanted to admire it and the way it reminded him of some of his favorite idols. It was cute, bright, and cheerful, just like the pop music blaring through his headphones. As he looked at the images showing off the adorable hairclip on the store page for the umpteenth time, he wondered how well it might suit some of the girls he so greatly admired. Kanako Mimura? It might look a little too sparkly for her, but Kiyoshi was sure she could pull it off! Airi Totoki? Ooh, yeah, it’d suit her bright and happy smile so well!  
  
The more he thought about it, the more he was filled with a sense of melancholy. He’d never look as good as them, there was no way he’d ever be able to wear something like that hairclip anyway, people would tease him for it, he was sure. But...well, maybe this would be a first step for him. Maybe buying a cutesy, girly hairclip might help him get a little bit more in touch with his own feminine side. Maybe, just maybe, it’d bring him closer to being like the idols who filled his each and every day with so much warmth, even when the rest of the world seemed so cold and unfeeling.  
  
Did he actually want to be a girl, though? It was a question he’d turned over in his head dozens, if not thousands of times. It kept him up at night, wondering if something was wrong with him for feeling this way. But it made him so, so happy, closing his eyes and dreaming of a world he could feel cute, where he could feel small, soft, oh-so happy and feminine. Where he could sing and dance on stage with the girls he admired, where they accepted him as a friend, where he wasn’t, well, himself.  
  
Those feelings, those desires, those needs...they were what pushed Kiyoshi into finally, after what felt like an eternity of indecision, clicking on the button to buy the hairclip that captivated him so greatly. He rushed through every step of the buying process after that without a care in the world, before, finally, he was greeted with the message “Thank you for your purchase. Your item will arrive tomorrow.”  
  
“D-did I really just do that?” Kiyoshi asked, the reality of what he’d done finally catching up with him. “Did I really just buy a h-hairclip for girls? Did I really just take the first step…?”  
  
He sat in silence for a while, a goofy, happy smile slowly forming on his face, before he burst out of his chair, practically jumping for joy. “I did! I really did! I-I’m gonna be all cute and girly and pretty!” He cried ecstatically as he flopped down onto his bed, tossing and turning as he wormed his way under the covers, beaming broadly to himself. “I...I don’t have to feel all gross and ugly anymore! I don’t have to feel like an outsider! I’m going to finally feel like...like me!” He rolled over onto his back, placed his hands behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling, smiling serenely. He was fully aware of how small and insignificant this should’ve seemed, but to him, it was the first major step into a life he’d been dreaming of for as long as he could remember.  
  
The rest of the day was a bit of a blur, Kiyoshi unable to focus on much at all beyond the purchase he’d just made. His giddiness coupled with the joy his music brought him kept him upbeat, if restless, until he lay down and found himself drifting off to sleep, smiling happily all the while.  
  
~~~  
  
Kiyoshi woke with a start, still buzzing from the purchase he’d made the day before. Checking his phone to see it was only 6AM, he let out a sigh as he realized his package would still take hours to show up.  
  
“Jeez, I guess it’s a good thing I spent extra on shipping. I don’t think I could bear to wait any longer than this!” he said, picking himself up out of his bed and hobbling over to his bathroom, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes all the while.  
  
Staring at his reflection, his mood immediately dropped back down. He’d never liked seeing his own body, particularly not when he looked this disheveled. It was evident, from his scruffy hair and his half-closed eyes, that he was just barely awake, but even on a good day, he never had a particularly high opinion of himself. He was quite chubby, mostly brought on by years of comfort eating as he tried to fight through the sadness that plagued him almost every single day, and most days, he could barely seem to muster up much of a smile whenever he was in public, only really feeling happy when he was in his room, listening to the music he loved, totally free of judgement from the outside world. It was the one time of day he got to feel at all girlish. Most of the time he looked and felt, at best, utterly unremarkable.  
  
He picked up a comb and fixed his hair, flattening it out until it was...well, neat. That was the best he could say for it, really. He wished it could be longer, softer, and silkier. He wished it looked even slightly cute.  
  
Forcing himself to smile, he did his best to cheer himself up. “It’s OK! Nothing’s gonna get me feeling down today! My ultra-cute hairclip’s just a few hours away, and I’ve got no school today! It’ll be super fun!”  
  
That was when he was interrupted by a voice calling to him from downstairs. “Kiyoshi!” He heard his mother call, “Did you order something online? A package just showed up!”  
  
“Already? Wow!” he said to himself, before raising his voice and calling back. “I did! Thanks mom!” he shouted as he rushed down the stairs, seeing his mom holding a small cardboard box.  
  
“So what’d you get? A new game? Ooh, one of those cute idol albums?” she asked, smiling warmly at Kiyoshi. Though he was still embarrassed that anyone at all knew about his love of idols, his mom never demeaned him for it. She was just happy that something made her child so happy.  
  
“Nope, nothing like that today! It’s a secret though!” Kiyoshi said, practically shaking with excitement.  
  
“Haha, well, gosh, I haven’t seen you this giddy in the morning since...ever? Well, if it makes you that happy, it must be something really nice! If you’re ever up for it, let me see whatever it is sometime, OK?”  
  
“One day, maybe!” he said with a smile as she handed him the box, before he rushed upstairs shouting, “Thanks mom! Love you!”  
  
He stumbled a little as he dashed up the stairs to the bathroom, locking the door behind him so he could get a good look at himself in the mirror. He couldn’t wait to see how the hairclip looked on him!  
  
Opening up the package as quickly as he could, he barely managed to hold back an elated cry as he held the clip in his hand. It wasn’t the most extravagant thing in the world, but it was adorable! Three cute stars: One yellow, one pink, and one light green, with golden trails of light streaming behind two of them. It was just about the girliest thing he’d been able to find, and now it was finally his!  
  
He fastened the clip to his hair, staring at himself in the mirror and smiling shyly. It looked a little ridiculous on him, he knew that much, but the way it made him feel was absolutely incredible. For the first time ever, he felt at least a little bit like the girl he always longed to be. He held up his right hand near his mouth, curving down his middle and ring fingers while spreading out the rest, winking with his left eye at his reflection, a wide smile on his face.  
  
He held the pose for a while before bursting out laughing at himself. “Ahaha, I dunno if I’ll ever be an idol or anything, but, well...I’m glad I tried this.” He wasn’t sure when he’d wear the hairclip again, but for a brief moment, he was sure he saw a girl reflected back at him in the mirror, smiling just as happily as he felt.  
  
“Maybe one day…” he muttered, grabbing the hairclip and trying to remove it, only to suddenly find that it wouldn’t budge.  
  
“Huh? I-is there some weird fastener on this or something?” He tugged at it, wincing as his hair was pulled along with it, the clip firmly locked into place.  
  
“Come on… How do I get this off? Is it stuck? It can’t be glued in place, can it?” Kiyoshi asked. He’d given it a pretty thorough inspection, he was sure there wasn’t some hidden mechanism locking it in place, and he was sure there wasn’t any glue, but he couldn’t explain why the clip just wouldn’t ease its grip even slightly.  
  
As he reached up to pull at the clip once more, something felt...off, his hair seemed softer, far less coarse and wild than it usually was. “What the heck…?” he asked, whispering softly to himself as he looked more closely at what he saw in the mirror. It didn’t just feel softer, it looked softer, too. His usual brown was muddy and dull, but something about his hair now almost seemed to shine, reflecting the light above him, but he was sure it had somehow taken on a brighter color all on its own. The messy nest it usually formed now seemed to fall down in waves, tickling his ears gently.  
  
“Ahaha…” he laughed, nervously. “That’s...that’s not right, is it? This has to just be some kind of dream…” he said, becoming less sure with each word, his fingers rubbing the smooth, silky hair that had been greasy just moments before. “It...it’s gotta be…”  
  
He felt his hair continue to grow, spilling past his shoulders, creeping down his back. In the front, he felt his bangs slide down his forehead until they stopped, resting right above his eyes. He reached out to touch it, tugging at it gently at first, then harder, until finally pulling so hard that he let out a yelp. “Th-that really hurt…” he said, rubbing at his forehead, still wincing in pain.  
  
“Then, all of this...it’s…?”  
  
He reached a hand back, grabbing at a lock of hair and gently pulling it in front of it. He rubbed his fingers along the strands. It was so soft and silky, he finally understood what all those commercials meant when they talked about healthy hair. It felt so good, so much better than even in his happiest fantasies.  
  
While he was admiring the touch of it, he felt the hair at his back continue to grow, some of it slipping down the neck of his shirt, gently tickling his skin as it slowly slid down to his lower back. A sudden urge came over him, and he lifted the hair up to his nose, breathing in a sweet, flowery scent, an aroma so feminine that he felt his head swimming with joy. He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes as the smell still lingered in is nose, and let go of the hair, it falling to rest just over his shoulder.  
  
When he opened his eyes, they couldn’t help but be drawn to the hairclip he’d put on. Before it had looked out of place, a simple embellishment trying to cover something up. Now, though, it looked like it had been made just for him, resting so nicely on his head, perfectly complimenting the light brown hair that had just stopped growing, right above the small of his back.  
  
“It’s real! Oh gosh! It’s so pretty, too! But...there’s no way I could keep my hair like this, is there? It...well, it doesn’t suit me at all.” Kiyoshi said, suddenly saddened by the realization, wishing that more of him would change.  
  
Even still, his hair had him totally enraptured. He brought a handful up to his nose once more to smell the sweet aroma that made him feel so utterly feminine just a few moments earlier. Gently sniffing it, his nose seemed to lock up for a brief moment, like his sinuses had become clogged up and tight, before the pressure almost immediately relieved itself. Rubbing his nose softly, it felt...off in his hands, smaller than he was used to, he was sure. He looked over in the mirror to see what the problem might’ve been, his jaw dropping the instant he glanced at his reflection.  
  
“H-h-how is…? No, th-that can’t be… Can it?” He stammered out a bevy of incoherent sentences as he realized exactly what he was looking at. His nose had somehow shrunk, completely changing its shape to something that far better suited the kind of girl that Kiyoshi imagined would have hair as soft and pretty as his now was. “It’s...it’s cute…” he muttered, looking at his reflection as he gently touched it once more, before he suddenly noticed more changes sweeping across his face.  
  
Normally round and pudgy, his face started slimming down in front of his eyes. He watched as his large chin started shrinking into a more delicate shape, it’s roundness somehow softening out in a way that seemed appealing feminine. His cheeks started to shrink, too, puffing out less than they did before, any trace of stubble that was on them fading away, leaving them looking smooth and supple, the slightest trace of a rosy hue seeping in.  
  
His eyes soon followed suit, seeming to get just a little bigger and more expressive. Just like his hair, the color lightened to a soft, pretty brown that seemed to sparkle as he watched his reflection shift in awe. Soon, his lashes lengthened greatly, darkening and curling up beautifully, while his eyebrows thinned into adorable little arches. His lips began to fill out next, growing softer and more kissable with each passing second. He was so enraptured by his new face that he didn’t even notice as his neck slimmed down, his Adam’s apple slowly melting away until there was nothing but smooth, soft skin.  
  
“It’s...it’s really happ- Nyowa?!” he shouted happily, before cutting himself off the second his voice floated up to his ears. It sounded airy, bubbly, and wonderfully cutesy. And that odd exclamation...Kiyoshi had no idea where it had come from, but in his new voice, it sounded positively adorable. He looked at his reflection with a smile, before speaking up once more “This is all real, isn’t it? I’m...I’m becoming a girl!” he declared proudly. “No, that’s not right, is it? I’ve always been one, haven’t I? Deep down, anyway. And now...now it’s finally happening!” She smiled, practically cheering as she ushered in her new life. “Is it all because of this thing?” she asked, putting a hand on her hairclip, again admiring just how well it seemed to suit her now.  
  
“It doesn’t matter what’s doing this! My dream’s finally going to come true!” she yelled out, too caught up in pawing at her face, feeling every delicate inch of skin and silky smooth strand of hair to notice as her body started to grow taller and taller. She was only pulled out of her trance when the top of her head began to exit the frame of the mirror in front of her, bringing her new height to her full attention.  
  
“Nyowa?! Wh-what’s going on?” she asked, looking down at her body, slightly shocked to see just how far away the floor seemed to be and how different everything around her looked. “I-I’m all big?!” Feeling a little dizzy all of a sudden, she sat down on the rim of her bathtub, looking over her body once more. Her shirt now hung loosely over her tummy, and she gently patted it, realizing that even more changes had been happening to her body. “I’ve...I’ve lost weight!” she noticed happily, sliding her hands down from her stomach to her now much, much longer legs. She still felt soft all over, but where she’d once looked visibly overweight, she now looked positively healthy, her weight suiting her taller body perfectly. She wouldn’t get a proper idea of just how big she’d become for a while still, but for now, she was more than happy with it all.  
  
“I always wanted to be shorter, but this feels really good!” she said, getting back on her feet and smiling at herself in the mirror once more. She knew she had a lot more to go through before this was done, but she was ready to embrace whatever came next.  
  
As it turned out, the changes themselves felt as if she was being warmly embraced, her arms tingling gently as her shoulders began to move inwards, gently sloping down into a soft curve that made her frame look far less intimidating than it once had. She giggled softly as her shirt started to slump over her body more, the sleeves now hanging loosely off her frame, clearly indicating how broad she once was, and how huggable and cute she was becoming. Eager to see more, she slipped her shirt off, tossing it aside on the floor.  
  
She looked at her arms as the tingling feeling traveled through them, watching as even more weight seemed to ripple and fade away, making them cuter and more slender by the moment, til the sensation finally reached her hands. “Oh gosh! I bet they’re gonna look great!” she cried out happily as her once pudgy, stubby fingers slimmed down and lengthened slightly, her fingernails cutely shaping themselves into a girlish cut, watching the light reflect off of them as her hands reached adorably feminine proportions that she could only describe as “So pretty~!” She slid her fingers across her arms, loving how soft and supple they felt beneath her fingertips.  
  
Not long after, her chest began to tingle as well, a mounting pressure growing as her nipples lightened to a cute, soft pink while they puffed out, a pleasant shiver going through her body as tiny goosebumps spread under them. “Oh wow! I’m...I’m gonna have boobs!” she gasped excitedly as she watched her chest slowly grow heavier as large, perfectly round, full, and perky breasts ballooned out in front of her. “They’re...they’re so big…” she said softly as she cupped them in her hands, hefting up their considerable weight as they spilled out of her fingers. “Soft, too!” she proudly stated, before a finger accidentally brushed one of her nipples, sending a pleasant jolt rushing through her body, forcing her to let go of her breasts, giggling happily as they gently bounced up and down. “Wow, that feels super good!”  
  
She looked over at her reflection again, giving a happy, catlike smile as she saw her increasingly feminine body in the mirror. It didn’t take long for the changes to spread once more, her tummy getting small, soft, and flat as her waist slowly pinched in while her hips slowly spread out like a flower in full bloom until they were wide and soft, giving her a huggable, curvy figure. “Heehee, I can’t believe I’m gonna be so cute! This is amazing!”  
  
She took off her pants now, ensuring there wouldn’t be a second of her change that she’d have to miss. Wincing slightly as she saw her groin, she did her best to ignore what she saw as she rubbed and caressed her hips. Noticing that her butt seemed to be filling out, she placed her hands on her cheeks, giggling at how big they seemed to be “Heehee! They’re really lovely!” she said, squeezing them softly as they continued to get bigger and bigger, stopping once they’d reached a lovely, wide, round shape that looked absolutely incredible.  
  
“I’m gonna be super, super pretty and...nnn…” she moaned gently as the tingling enveloped her groin, a gentle warmth following soon after. She felt her head swim as those feelings expanded, somehow reaching deep inside of her. Kiyoshi couldn’t help but smile in spite of it all, recognizing what was going to happen to her next. Sure enough, she soon felt the warm tingle joined by a light pressure, as though something soft and smooth was cupping her genitals. She could felt her testicles slowly recede into her body, her senses feeling fuzzy as they reformed into ovaries deep within her new womb. Her penis followed suit, shrinking down inside of her until almost no hint of it remained, save for a small, pink bud that was soon hooded as the rest of her genitals changed into soft, smooth lips. Once it was all done, the lightheadedness and fuzziness left her, and she eagerly looked down, happy to see what wasn’t there, even happier to see the beautiful flower that had taken its place.  
  
Before she could even remark on it, her legs began to tingle as well, directing her attention to her thighs as they filled out and became just as wonderfully soft as the rest of her. She rubbed her legs together happily, giggling at how nice and comfortable everything felt as her calves thinned out, her feet soon following suit and shrinking down to a feminine, slender size and shape, any trace of her old body completely vanishing, leaving nothing but a big, happy girl smiling warmly to herself.  
  
She wasn’t sure what to say, though. Her head was swimming with feelings of indescribable joy, of finally becoming the person she’d known herself to be for so very long. As she looked over each and every inch of her girly, adorable new body, just a handful of words came to mind, and she wasn’t even sure who they were directed at.  
  
“Thank you… Thank you so, so much.”  
  
It didn’t matter if anyone heard her, but she still felt that she had to say it. She knew that she was about to start a new, warm, and for the first time, happy chapter of her life.  
  
But a wrench was swiftly thrown into that as she heard knocking at the bathroom door.  
  
“Kiyoshi? Is everything OK? You’ve been in there a while…” her mom called out, sounding worried.  
  
Kiyoshi gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth to try and stifle her voice. She scrambled to get back into her clothes, equal parts delighted at how badly they now fit her, and distressed as she thought about how odd this would all look to her mom. “How do I explain any of this?!” she whispered, struggling to keep her voice down.  
  
“Kiyoshi...d-do you have a girl over?”  
  
Kiyoshi blushed bright red at the thought, yelling out “N-no Mom!” without even thinking about it, covering her mouth once more when she noticed exactly how loud she’d just been.  
  
She was met by silence. Loud, agonizing silence, before her mom finally spoke up.  
  
“Excuse me, but whoever you are, are you decently dressed? It’s OK if you’re Kiyoshi’s girlfriend, you and him don’t have to hide your relationship, but I’d at least like to see who you are, haha.” She spoke softly, as if trying to reassure the mystery girl she was now terribly worried she’d spooked.  
  
Kiyoshi kept quiet, looking down at the floor and biting her lip nervously.  
  
“It’s OK if you’re a little scared. Can you at least tell me where Kiyoshi is? I’m not going to yell at him, I just...I just wanna tell him he has no reason to keep things like this a secret.”  
  
Kiyoshi sighed heavily. Her mom had always, always been there for her. She’d always supported and accepted everything she loved, no matter how much it drove her away from everybody else. Maybe, just maybe, she’d accept this too.  
  
She opened the door, sheepishly looking over at her mother and waving softly. “H-hi Mom…” she said nervously, surprised to see that her mother was now far, far shorter than her, with her head only reaching as high her ample chest, leaving her craning her neck slightly to look Kiyoshi in the eyes.  
  
“H-hi there. I’m so sorry if this is rude to ask, but...who are you?”  
  
Kiyoshi sighed again, knowing how tricky this would be. “It’s...it’s me. It’s Kiyoshi, your child.”  
  
“Are you his girlfriend? How long have you two known each other?” She asked, clearly not understanding.  
  
“No, Mom...I…I know this’ll sound weird, but I swear, it’s me. I...I’m a girl…” She said, staring down at the floor.  
  
“I’m sorry, is this a joke or something? I’m not sure I get it…” She said, the concern in her voice growing increasingly apparent.  
  
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but I promise I’m not kidding! You know I’m way too shy to even think about dating right now, Mom…”  
  
Her mom just stayed silent, unsure of what else to say.  
  
“You asked me about the package I ordered? It was this…” She pointed at her hairclip, “I...I’ve wanted to buy things like this for years. It reminded me of some of the idols I really like, and I wished I could be more like them, so I finally ordered it last night. I just ran to the bathroom the second you handed it to me, put it on, and...well, here I am,” she said, gesturing at her body.  
  
“Do you promise this isn’t some strange joke?”  
  
Kiyoshi just smiled warmly, her eyes welling up with tears, and wrapped her arms around her mother in a warm, soft hug. “I promise, Mom…” she said, the tears now streaming down her face. “I know this shouldn’t be possible, but...but I think I’m finally me…”  
  
“You’re...you?”  
  
“I think I always wanted to be like this… to be a girl, I mean.”  
  
Her mom hugged her back, with as much warmth as she could possibly muster up. “You said you’re...well, you now, right?”  
  
“Y-yeah.”  
  
“Silly…” she said, tightening her hug, “If that’s the case, you didn’t just turn into a girl.” Her voice was as warm as her hug.  
  
“I’m not making any of this up, Mom! I did-” Her mother let go of Kiyoshi, putting a finger to her lips.  
  
“You didn’t turn into a girl, because you’re you, you’ve always been you, and that means you’ve always been a girl. You just look cuter now!” She smiled happily at her daughter.  
  
Kiyoshi beamed happily at her mother, wrapping her up in yet another tight hug as tears of joy ran down her face.  
  
“Haha, easy there, sweetie. I’m a little smaller than you!”  
  
“Nyowa?!” She exclaimed in surprise, backing off and blushing furiously, “Sorry Mom!”  
  
“It’s OK! You’ve just...got a lot of love to give!”  
  
“Y-yeah!” Kiyoshi said, happily.  
  
“Now, why don’t you see if you’ve got anything in your room that might fit you a little better than that? My clothes will definitely be too small... I’ll go pick up some things for you, but for now, I’m sure something in your closet will do the trick,” her mom said, winking at her happily.  
  
Kiyoshi nodded, and the two walked through to her room, both of them gasping when they saw what greeted them.  
  
“D-did you put your hairclip on everything in your room, too?” her mom asked, teasingly, staring at the girlish room in front of them. Most of Kiyoshi’s possessions were the same, but the walls, once a dull grey, had turned a vibrant pink. Her bed had a handful of stuffed animals on it, and where a wallet usually lay was a sleek, simple purse next to a cute black handbag.  
  
“N-no! This is the first time I’m seeing this, too! It’s...it’s amazing!” she cried happily as she walked over to her desk, flipping open the purse and pulling out her ID. “Look! It’s completely different!” She said, showing it to her mom.  
  
Somehow, it had changed completely to reflect her new body, with a picture showing her cute face smiling softly, an altered ID number and a drastically increased height that placed her at a whopping 6’1”, and most notably…  
  
“Kirari? That’s your new name?”  
  
Kirari’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! It’s such a cute name, don’t you think?!” she asked, clasping her mother’s hands in her own, forcing her to drop the ID to the ground.  
  
“Haha, it’s very nice, sweetie!” she said warmly, mostly happy that this meant she’d likely not have to worry about any paperwork regarding her daughter’s sudden change, and that Kirari seemed so ecstatic about it all. “This probably means your clothes are all different, too! Why don’t you take a look?”  
  
“Yeah, you’re right!” Kirari said, rushing over to her closet and opening it with a smile.  
  
“Oh gosh, look! I’ve got bras and panties and skirts and dresses and-”  
  
“I’m glad you’re so excited, sweetie! Take a breath though, OK? You’ll pass out if you keep up your pace!” Her mother said, smiling broadly while her daughter rifled through her new clothes.  
  
Soon though, she noticed Kirari’s smile begin to fade.  
  
“Is something wrong?”  
  
“Ehehe, it’s...well, it’s silly…but...I kinda hoped my clothes would be a little cuter. These are all pretty plain…” She gestured at her closet, pointing out the rather plain blouses and skirts, the featureless dresses, and the dull, unflattering underwear that seemed to make up her options.  
  
“Why don’t you put some of it on? I bet it’ll look great on you!” Her mother said, reassuring Kirari as best as she could.  
  
“Yeah, you’re right.” Kirari said, rather flatly. “Mind turning around, Mom?”  
  
“Ah, sure!”  
  
Kirari stripped off her boyish clothes, letting them fall to the floor without giving them much thought at all before she got to work on picking out something new to wear. She slid plain, white cotton panties up her long legs, liking how soft they felt, but little else about them. She struggled with a similarly boring bra for a few moments, smiling gently at how snug it felt on her once she properly managed to fasten it. She then moved onto a white blouse that fit her well enough, but did nothing to highlight her figure, and a long, flowing black skirt that, while pretty, just felt drab to her. She liked the long thigh-high stockings she slipped on, but also wished they weren’t as dull and monochrome as everything else she had, feeling much the same way about the simple black shoes she put on last.  
  
“Finished. You can turn around now, Mom.”  
  
Her mother spun around quickly, eager to see her daughter all dressed up.  
  
She looked cute, of course, but her outfit was, even her mother had to admit, surprisingly dull. Still, she smiled at Kirari and did her best to make her feel better. “It’s really sleek and elegant. You look lovely, sweetie!” she said, worried it sounded forced.  
  
“I guess so…” Kirari mumbled, clearly disappointed.  
  
“It must be tricky to find clothes in your size, but those suit you really nicely!” she added, watching Kirari’s face grow sadder by the word, realizing she’d definitely said the wrong thing.  
  
Kirari didn’t respond, though, fully soaking in the gravity of what her mother had just told her. She realized just how tall she now was, of course, but it didn’t quite sink in until that moment how that’d affect her. Cute clothes were almost completely unavailable to her, meaning she’d likely have to dress the way she was now for much of her life. Even her mother looked a little surprised by how big she was when she first stepped out of the bathroom, and if someone as understanding as her was taken aback, Kirari was certain other people would think she looked out of place, too. She was so tall, she thought, that people would probably even find her intimidating, maybe even enough that children would be wary of her. At the very least, she was nowhere close to the feminine ideal she’d always dreamed of being. It seemed like a silly thing to get worked up over, having just been changed in such a pleasant way, but suddenly, the caveats she hadn’t expected to deal with seemed like mountainous obstacles she’d never overcome.  
  
“Sweetie, are you OK?” her mother asked, the concern in her voice clearly evident.  
  
“I’m...I’m fine, Mom. Thanks!” she said, forcing out a smile.  
  
“Why don’t you take a walk and get some air, hmm? I know your room and clothes changed with you, but...well, I wanna get you something to celebrate everything that’s happened. We can relax together when I’m back!” her mom said, leaning in close and giving Kirari a gentle hug, which she returned weakly.  
  
“S-sure. That sounds nice,” she said, adding “I’m just gonna use the bathroom and then I’ll head out.”  
  
“OK sweetie. Today’s a fresh start! Things are going to be lovely!” she said, smiling as her daughter picked up her purse and trudged through to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and looking in the mirror again.  
  
She really didn’t look bad, but she suddenly felt horribly self-conscious. Like everything had somehow gone wrong despite everything wonderful that had happened. She looked at her hairclip and smiled weakly at it. “You...you’re so pretty, I’m really glad I bought you, but…” She looked over her whole reflection, her monochrome, drab outfit on her frame that she was certain looked nothing but intimidating. “You’re far too cute for someone like me...” she said, removing it and putting it deep into her purse. She sighed as she left the bathroom, waving weakly at her mother as she left their house.  
  
~~~  
  
Kirari sat on a park bench, filled with melancholy as she stared up at the sky. Heading out had been a mistake, she was sure of that. She just knew that as she walked down the street, everyone was staring at her, cowering away from her. She hadn’t seen anyone actually do that, of course, but she just knew that everyone she couldn’t see was terrified of her.  
  
She took a sip of the iced coffee she bought herself. It was loaded with sugar and cream and was far too sweet for someone as big and scary as her. She told herself that, anyway. But it tasted delicious, and, at the moment, was just about the only thing making her feel good. She was sure, when she changed, that everything would suddenly feel so much better, that the world would be a far less scary and cold place. But, if anything, it felt more intimidating to her than it ever had.  
  
It didn’t take long for her sadness to overtake her, and soon, she was sobbing quietly to herself, taking care to avoid getting too loud and startling anyone around her. Eventually she slipped in earphones and played some of her favorite idol music as loudly as possible to stop even herself from hearing her sobs. “I-I guess this is how things are meant to be, huh? I guess I’m just always...always meant to feel like this…” she whispered, staring downward and watching her tears fall to the ground. “I know it’s silly. I know how dumb it is to think everything can just fix itself, to think I can suddenly be happy, but...but...but I thought things were going to turn around at least a little!” she said, not realizing how much louder she was getting, though almost nobody in the park cared to approach or even look at the crying girl.  
  
“I ...I just wish this could’ve gone better. I wish I could make this better, but...there’s no way these things happen twice…” she said, her sobs growing louder and heavier, tears blurring her vision. She sat there for a while, hoping the music blaring in her ears would make her feel better, but it never did.  
  
She was stuck in her own head for hours, coming up with endless reasons why she should feel bad about herself, before she felt someone tugging at the sleeve of her blouse. Wiping her tears away as best as she could, she turned to face whoever was trying to talk to her. She saw a small blonde girl dressed in what looked like little more than a baggy t-shirt and carrying a pink stuffed bunny, still tugging at her sleeve. She was sure she recognized her, but couldn’t figure out why or how. She pulled out her earphones, still sobbing softly and stammered out a “H-hello. I-is everything alright?”  
  
“Ummm...well, I think it’d make more sense for me to ask you that…” the girl said, each word sounding slow and sleepy, like she was forcing herself to talk. Still, that voice seemed so familiar to Kirari...  
  
“I-I’m fine! I promise!” Kirari said, forcing herself to smile.  
  
“I’m not so sure I believe you... You looked preeeetty down in the dumps…”  
  
“I just, well…” Kirari said, trailing off once she realized exactly why this girl seemed so familiar. “Y-y-you’re Anzu Futaba! F-from 346 Production!” She stuttered as she spoke, but that didn’t hide the excitement in her voice. Anzu was an idol. One of Kirari’s favorites, in fact. Known for her tiny stature and lazy, sleepy attitude, Kirari owned every single album she’d worked on, and thought that she was simply adorable, too. As soon as she spoke, Anzu quickly reached up to Kirari and clamped her hand over her mouth.  
  
“Shhh! I don’t want anyone making a scene! It’s my day off!” she whispered, clearly annoyed, slowly taking her hand off of Kirari’s face.  
  
“But, I’m your biggest fan! And-”  
  
“Shhh! It’s great that you’re such a fan, but… I know! Treat this as a private one-on-one with me, OK? You’re the only person in the world who’ll get to experience this!” she said, sounding more energetic about keeping a low-profile than she had in any one of the songs she’d recorded. “You understand?” she asked, with a serious look on her face.  
  
Kirari quickly nodded in response.  
  
“Good, good…” Anzu said, sighing heavily as she sat down next to Kirari. “Now...you looked pretty down. I don’t really wanna make more work for myself, but…I can’t just see a girl crying like that and do nothing…” she said, almost sheepishly.  
  
“That’s super, super nice of you Ms. Futaba, but…” Kirari said, still a little starstruck.  
  
“Anzu. My name’s Anzu, so call me that. I don’t like formal stuff…”  
  
“Ah, s-sorry Anzu! My name’s Kirari Moroboshi! It’s...it’s nice to meet you! I’m sorry I’m being trouble though…”  
  
“Kirari, huh? Well it’s uhhh, it’s nice to meet you too…” she said, her voice trailing off as she let out a loud yawn, before carrying on with what she was saying. “But, really, no matter how much you insist you’re fine, I heard what you were saying… About wishing things were better…? I don’t know much about that, but if you wanna talk to someone…” She let out a sigh. “I’m here for you,” she said, forcing herself to look as serious as possible.  
  
“I appreciate it, but-”  
  
“No buts.”  
  
Kirari let out a resigned sigh. For as lazy as Anzu always seemed to be, she looked so determined to help her out. Plus, she’d been one of Kirari’s heroes for so long, she couldn’t turn her down now. “I just...I wish I was cuter, like you…”  
  
“Huh?” Anzu said, suddenly looking far more confused than concerned.  
  
“I...I mean, I’m just so big and tall… I bet everyone thinks I look all scary. You’re so wonderful and pretty, I wish I could be even a little bit like you.”  
  
“You’re...kidding, right?”  
  
“N-no! I’m serious! Nothing fits me, so I can’t even wear cute clothes! I’ve gotta wear things like this and...and I’m just...not girly at all!”  
  
Anzu’s confusion totally vanished at that, her face going completely blank.  
  
“I know how silly it sounds, but…” Kirari looked down at the ground once more. “You and everyone else at 346, you’re all so happy and cute and I’ll...I’ll never be like that...”  
  
The two of them sat in silence for a while, before Anzu finally spoke up after what felt like an eternity for Kirari. “I...I think you’re pretty…”  
  
Kirari suddenly jolted upright, staring straight at Anzu, her face flushing a bright red. “N-nyowa?! Y-y-you think Kirari is…?”  
  
Anzu chuckled softly before speaking up again. “You get so flustered at someone complimenting you and you think you’re scary? You make a sound that cute and you think you’re not girly?”  
  
“I-I, well…”  
  
“So you’re tall, why does that matter? It...it just makes you uniquely charming, that’s all. I bet you could find lots of nice clothes if you looked hard enough, too. I’m...I’m tiny, but that’s OK, isn’t it?”  
  
“Of course it is! You’re adorable!”  
  
“See? I used to get teased for it, but it doesn’t make me any less girlish or anything like that. Just because you’re big, it doesn’t make you any less cute or girly either… You just need to make that height yours, you need to show everyone why it makes you you.”  
  
Kirari wasn’t sure she’d ever heard Anzu say quite this much. She still seemed sleepy, of course, but she had a sense of focus and determination that Kirari couldn’t help but admire.  
  
“Y-you mean it? You really think me being so big isn’t a problem?”  
  
“Of course I mean it. Lying takes too much energy, anyway…” she said, yawning yet again. “Even if you wear clothes that you think are boring, you can make them super cute with just a liiiiitle bit of, ugh, work…” she said, reaching into one of her pockets and pulling out a blue ribbon. “Give me your hand?”  
  
“Huh, my hand? Why?” Kirari asked, though she still held her hand out to the smaller girl. Anzu didn’t say anything in response and just tied the ribbon around her wrist.  
  
“There,” Anzu said. “It suits you… You should wear more colorful things… Do you have anything else, any ribbons or anything?”  
  
Kirari stared at her wrist, her eyes lighting up at how much better Anzu was making her feel. Still, she felt melancholy sweep over her again as she reached into her purse, pulling out her hairclip. “I have this, but it doesn’t suit me at all…”  
  
“That’s perfect.” Anzu said, snatching it out of Kirari’s hands and clipping it into her hair, before pulling out her phone and quickly snapping a picture of Kirari, showing it to the bigger girl. “See?” she asked, as Kirari looked at the photo of herself, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “You look really good, and I hope you can see that now, too.”  
  
Kirari’s eyes brimmed over with tears once more. She quickly leaned over and scooped Anzu up into a big, soft hug.  
  
“H-hey!” Anzu grumbled.  
  
“Thank you so much, Anzu! You’re...you’re really amazing!” Kirari said, further tightening her grip.  
  
Anzu hesitated for a moment, but soon returned the hug, gently. “I’m...I’m glad I could help. You shouldn’t have to feel bad about yourself like that…”  
  
After a moment, the two of them both let go, with Kirari still smiling broadly at Anzu.  
  
“I’ve gotta go, I’m really…” Anzu let out yet another yawn, easily her biggest one yet “I’m really wiped out, but take this…” She rummaged through her pockets and handed Kirari a card. “It’s for 346. If you ever want to see me again, visit our office and show them that. You might not think so, but I’m sure you could even get work there, if you wanted… It pays well, and you get a lot of free time, so it’s kinda cushy…”  
  
“Ahaha, that’s really sweet, Anzu! I’ll definitely visit you sometime, if it’s OK with you! Working as an idol might be a little much though, ehehe…”  
  
“Well, I’ll be waiting for you. As long as you don’t wanna do anything too tiring with me, it should be OK…” She stood up, letting out another, smaller yawn. “I’ll see you around, Kirari…” she said, waving gently as she started to walk away.  
  
“Goodbye, Anzu! Thanks for everything!” Kirari yelled back joyfully as she, too, picked herself up and started to walk home, humming a cute little tune to herself all the way.  
  
~~~  
  
Kirari stepped inside her apartment, still smiling happily as she shut the door behind her to see her mother walking through to the living room, carrying around several large shopping bags.  
  
“Ooh, let me help with that, Mom! Those look heavy!”  
  
“Hi sweetie, nice timing! I just got back, myself,” she said, handing a couple of the bags to Kirari.  
  
“Wow, they are pretty heavy! What’d you buy?” she asked, resisting the temptation to peek inside the bags.  
  
“Why don’t we head up to your room? You can check it all out there!” her mother said, speaking just as warmly as ever.  
  
“Sure thing!”  
  
The two of them carried the bags through to Kirari’s bedroom, plopping them down on the bed and sitting next to them.  
  
“You seem so much happier now, sweetie! Did you have a nice walk?”  
  
“I did, thanks! I think...well, I think I just needed to put some things into perspective!” Kirari said, beaming broadly.  
  
“I’m so glad to see you smiling again, sweetie! My heart nearly broke when you left the house earlier…”  
  
“Sorry about that, Mom… But, well, today’s incredible anyway, and it’s going to be happy and lovely from here on out!”  
  
“That’s right! In fact, I know just the thing to make you feel even better! I know you’re sad about your clothes, so I hunted around to find something a little prettier for you to wear!” she said as she reached into one of the bags. “Now, it might be a liiiiitle cutesy, but well, I figured some color would suit you really nicely!” She smiled, pulling out some clothes and handing them to Kirari.  
  
She couldn’t believe it, these were, well…  
  
“Nyowa?! Wow Mom!” she yelled excitedly, her eyes lighting up happily.  
  
“Oh gosh, too flashy?” her mother asked, a concerned look on her face.  
  
“No no, not at all! It’s all...it’s all perfect!” she yelled out, wrapping her arms around her mother and giving her the tightest, happiest hug she possibly could. “Do you mind if I put it on now?”  
  
“It’s no trouble at all! I’ll step outside, just call me when you’re dressed up! I can’t wait to see how pretty you’ll look!” she said, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.  
  
Kirari looked over everything she’d just been given, barely stopping herself from just bursting into tears of joy. She couldn’t believe how great this all looked! There was a light sweater, a cute blue dress, and even some adorable underwear!  
  
Tearing off her clothes as quickly as she could, she first put on her new frilly pink bra and panties. Though her previous underwear wasn’t uncomfortable at all, there was something about this that just sat so much better on her body, gently hugging her and emphasizing her curves, making her looking incredibly feminine and leaving her feeling happy and warm in a way none of her previous clothes ever could.  
  
She then slipped on the light blue dress, sliding it over her head and feeling it rest comfortably on her chest, enjoying the breezy feeling between her legs. Giggling happily, she looked at herself in the mirror, poring over every detail of the dress. She loved everything about it: the adorable multicolored polka dots on her chest, the pretty frills that cutely emphasized her bust, to the lovely red ribbons on the front of the dress. Everything about it made her look so cute and huggable, and there was still more to put on!  
  
She slipped on the pink sweater next, leaving it unbuttoned so that she could better show off the pretty pattern on her dress. It was a fairly simple garment, only reaching down to her waist, but she absolutely loved the way it flared out at the wrists, and thought that the color went extremely well with the light blue of her dress.  
  
She only had a couple of pieces left to go. Kirari thought the cute rainbow colored stockings and yellow socks her mom had picked out were super cute, but she briefly wondered if she could make her outfit even more fun! So she took one of the stockings and slid it up her right leg, far past the hem of her dress. Then she put on the socks, stretching them up to reach partway up her calves. She knew it’d look a bit mismatched, but that sounded absolutely perfect to her in that moment, just knowing that the socks made her look even more adorable than she already had. She then slipped on the cute pink shoes left in the bottom of one of the bags and admired her reflection once more.  
  
“This all looks so pretty!” she said with a confident smile. She loved how sweet and huggable the whole outfit was, how it made her height seem so much less daunting.  
  
“Mom! You can come back in now!” she called. Almost immediately, the door swung open and her mom rushed in with an eager look on her face.  
  
“Oh wow, sweetie! You look adorable!”  
  
“Thanks so much, mom! This is all so cute!”  
  
“Ooh, there’s one thing I wanna add to it. Do you mind?”  
  
“No, not at all! Go ahead!”  
  
Her mom rummaged through one of the shopping bags and pulled out a light green sash, tying it around Kirari’s waist until it felt nice and snug. “There you go! I figured your umm… Well, your chest might push out the dress a little, but with this, you can show off your cute figure no matter what!”  
  
“Thanks, Mom! It looks suuuuper cute!” she said, giving her mother yet another warm hug.  
  
“Oh! I forgot to give you some accessories to go with it, but it looks like you’ve already got some! I don’t remember buying you that ribbon though…”  
  
“Yeah! It was a gift from a girl I met when I was out! I’ll tell you all about her later!” she said, pausing for a second before adding, “But I can put on more accessories anyway! I bet they’ll all look amazing!”  
  
Her mother went right back to the shopping bags without a word, quickly rummaging through them again and pulling out a cute pink bracelet with a poofy light blue ball of fluff on it, which she immediately slipped around Kirari’s wrist. She then took out a pretty golden necklace, quickly clipping that around her daughter’s neck, making sure not to get any of her hair caught in it. For as much as Kirari loved her new clothes, her mother seemed to be enjoying this just as much.  
  
“Aaaand perfect!” Her mom said, smiling proudly at her daughter. “I definitely have the cutest daughter in the city! No, wait, the whole world! You look amazing, sweetie!”  
  
Kirari looked back at the mirror, putting a hand on her hip and smiling warmly.  
  
“Thanks for everything, mom! This is...this is the happiest day of my life!” she said, hugging her mother for what she was sure was the millionth time, but she hardly cared. Hugs were warm and soft, after all, and if they let her spread around a little happiness, she was going to hug everyone dear to her as much as she possibly could.  
  
“Gosh, sweetie! You haven’t even seen all the other outfits I bought you!”  
  
“Nyowa?! You bought even more?!” Kirari asked, her eyes lighting up once more.  
  
“I did, and you’re going to look amazing in all of them!”  
  
The two of them smiled as they pulled out every single piece of clothing her mom had bought for her. Today was going to be a busy day for the both of them, but neither of them would’ve had it any other way.  
  
~~~  
  
Anzu was happily napping, having fallen asleep in her stage outfit, when she heard a knock at the door. Much to her chagrin, it took her out of a lovely dream filled with candy and sweets, a world completely void of responsibility, and jolted her back into her real room, though that, too, was full of candy and sweets.  
  
“Mmmf, go away…” she grumbled under her breath.  
  
“A-Anzu?”  
  
“Yeah? Who is it?”  
  
“Do you mind if I come in?”  
  
Anzu sighed heavily. She didn’t want to be interrupted, but she knew that putting this off now would only mean more trouble later. “Yeah, sure…” she grumbled, forcing herself out of bed.  
  
“Yay! I’m coming in!” the voice called out, before the door burst open and a tall, cutely dressed girl rushed on in, scooping Anzu up into a loving hug immediately.  
  
“H-hey!”  
  
“Anzu! I missed you so, so, so much!” the girl yelled happily. Anzu looked up at the face of her very excitable guest, recognizing her almost immediately.  
  
“Kirari? The girl from the park?” she asked.  
  
“Oh gosh, you remember me! It’s been so long, I was worried you wouldn’t know who I was at all!”  
  
“But you hugged me immediately anyway?”  
  
“Nyowa? Hugs are fun, silly! You don’t like hugs?”  
  
“I mean, I do…” Anzu grumbled. She had to admit, this was extremely comfortable for her. Kirari felt so soft and warm, with breasts that felt like big, comfy pillows. She could almost...just…  
  
“Oh gosh, you’re dozing off, Anzu! You must be really sleepy!”  
  
Anzu’s eyes jolted open once more, and she stammered out a reply “I-I’m fine…You’re just...comfy…”  
  
“Oh gosh, thank you so much! Maybe I should let go for now, huh? Don’t want you falling asleep right away!” Kirari said as she put Anzu back down.  
  
“What are you doing here anyway, Kirari? Just visiting?” She asked as she rubbed her eyes blearily.  
  
“Oh gosh, Anzu, you don’t know? I figured someone would’ve told you!”  
  
“Uhhhh, I don’t think so?” Anzu replied, suddenly worried she’d really just slept through something important.  
  
“Well, that’s OK! Y’know why?”  
  
“Why’s that?”  
  
“Because I got a job here! You made me feel so, so super duper good about myself that I applied to work as an idol, and I got in! Today’s my first day!”  
  
“Oh wow, congratulations, Kirari!” she said, mustering up as much enthusiasm as she possibly could.  
  
“And we’re gonna be part of a unit! I’ll be with you each and every day! Let’s work hard together, OK?” Kirari said with a smile.  
  
Anzu was conflicted. Kirari was extremely sweet, and working with her in a unit could be fun, but...it was work… Still, she didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm in the slightest, so she simply said “I’ll try my best!” and smiled.  
  
“Yay!” Kirari said, scooping up Anzu into a hug once more. “You helped me out so much, Anzu! I’m gonna make sure every day is super fun and happy for you! You’re...you’re my hero!” she said, tightening her grip.  
  
When she received no response, however, she looked down at the girl in her arms.  
  
“Oh gosh, you dozed off again?” Kirari asked, still brimming with joy. This time, Anzu didn’t wake back up.  
  
“Well, that’s OK!” Kirari said to herself, laying Anzu down on the nearby bed. “Today’s the first day of a happy, happy life for both of us!” She placed her hands on her hips and looked at herself in Anzu’s mirror. She couldn’t believe how wonderful these past few months had been for her, and she was going to do everything she could to make sure that the people near and dear to had their each and every day filled with as much joy as possible.  
  
She reached into one of her pockets, pulled out the hairclip she’d carried with her every day, and smiled warmly.  
  
“Thank you so much. For absolutely everything.”  
  
She grinned confidently as she turned back to her reflection.  
  
“Kirarin’s gonna be super happy forever!”


End file.
